Automatic nipple and sealing disc releasing means



June 13,1957 IY,H KURKJ|AN A 2,796,188

AUTOMATIC NIPPLE AND SE'ALING DISC RELEASING MEANS Filed Nov. 9, 1954klm H/S ATTORNEY United States Patent O AUTOMATIC NIPPLE AND SEALINGDISC -RELEASING .MEANS Yervant H. Kurkjian, Clifton, N. J., assignor toKurk Products Co., Clifton, N. I., a corporation of New JerseyApplication November 9, 1954, Serial No.467,796

2 Claims. (Cl. 21S- 11) 4This invention relates to automatic nipple andsealing disc releasing means, and has for one of its objects theproduction of a simple and efficient means for automatically breakingthe vacuum seal between a nursing bottle and nipple as the nippleretaining cap is loosened upon the bottle of a nursing unit.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple andetlicient means carried by the resilient flange of a nursing nipple forautomatically breaking the vacuum seal between a nursing bottle and thenipple flange when lthe nipple retaining cap is loosened upon the bottleof a nursing unit.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appearthroughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sealing disc of the nursing unit,looking at the under face thereof;

Figure 2 is an inverted perspective view of the nipple of the nursingunit;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View of the sealing disc;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the nipple;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the nursing unit, certain partsbeing shown in section, the nipple and sealing disc being shown in aventing position;

Figure 6 is a similar view to Figure 3, the parts being in a vacuumsealed position;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the parts ofthenursing unit in a venting position;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the parts of thenursing un'it in a vacuum sealed position;

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view'of a modified form oftheinvention, the parts being ina venting position;

Figure l is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the form shown inFigure 9, the parts being in a vacuum sealed position;

Figure l1 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of afurther modified form of the invention;

Figure l2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the nippleshowing the nipple in a locked operative position upon a bottle.

By referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that 10designates a rigid container or nursing bottle which preferably is ofthe wide-mouth type. A flexible or elastic nipple 11 having a flexibleor elastic annular vented flange 12 is shown in an inverted position inFigures and 6. The nipple 11 in the inverted position, extends down intothe wide mouth of the bottle 10, and the vented flange 12 in thenipple-inverted position rests upon the upper edge of the container orneck of the nursing bottle when storing the container and its contentswithin a refrigerator or other refrigerated unit. A

sealing disc 13 preferably of rigid material such as plastic and thelike, rests upon the flange 12 of the inverted nipple 11. The disc 13 ispreferably provided with an upstanding nger grip flange 14 upon the topface thereice of to facilitate the placing of the vdisc 13 in position.A central reinforcing portion 15 is preferably carried by the under faceof the disc 13.

It has been yfound that when the bottle or container 10 is filled withhot or Warm lmilk or other fluid, and is placed within a refrigeratorwith the flange 12 of the inverted nipple 11 and disc 13 clamped in asealing position upon the neck of the bottle or container by means ofthe conventional adjustable 'retaining cap or ring 16, the cooling-offprocess of the milk or fluid within the container or bottle will buildup a vacuum Within the container or bottle 10. This causes the flange 12to tightly adhere or stick to the upper edge of the neck of thecontainer or bottle 10, and also causes the sealing disc 13 to adhere orstick to the flange 12 and thereby provide a vacuum seal, so las to makeit difficult, Without great effort, to release the disc 13 from theflange 12 and to release the flange from the upper edge of the neck ofthe container or bottle 10 after the retaining cap or ring has beenloosened or removed.

In order to automatically break this vacuum seal immediately upon theloosening yof the retaining cap, the resilient or rubber flange 13 isprovided with a plurality of minute or relatively vsmall resilient nibs,teats, or other protuberances 17 formed integral with the flange 12 uponthe inverted face of the flange 12, near the outer edge or peripherythereof, as shown in the drawing. Like- Wise, a plurality of nibs, teatsor other integral protuberances 18 are formed or carried by the underface of the sealing disc 13, as shown in the drawing.

When ythe nipple 10 is in an inverted position within the neck of acontainer or bottle, as shown in Figures v5 and 6, the nibs, teats, orother protuberances 17 of the flange 12 rest upon or incontact with, theupper edge ofthe neck of the container or bottle 1i), in the mannershown in Figures 5 and 7. The nibs, teats, or other protuberances 18 ofthe disc 13 rest upon or in contact with, the abutting face of thevented flange 12 of the nipple 1-1, as shown in Figures 5 and 7. As theretaining cap or ring 16 is threaded upon the neck of the container orbottle 10 to a sealing position, the disc 13 will be forced ytightlyupon ythe flange 12 and the flange 12 will be forced tightly upon theupper edge of the neck of the container or bottle 10 to properly sealthe neck of the container or bottle. As the contents of the container orbottle cools a vacuum is built up within the container or bottle, as isobvious. "However, because of -these nibs, teats, or protuberances, assoon as the retaining cap or ring 16 is loosened upon .the neck of the.container -or -bottle and removed, the nibs, teats `or protuberancesexpand and cause the flange 12 to be released or raised from the upperedge of the neck of the bottle 10, and the disc 13 to be raised abovethe flange 12, thereby breaking the vacuum seal and permitting the disc13 and flange 12 of the nipple to be easily lifted from the neck of thecontainer or bottle.

When the cap or ring 16 is tightened to a sealing position, the nibs,teats, or other protuberances 1'7, because of their elastic or resilientnature, will be compressed and embedded into the inverted face of theflange 12, as shown in Figure 8. The rigid nibs, teats or otherprotuberances 18 of the disc 13 will be embedded into the abutting faceof the flange 13, as shown in Figure 8. As soon as pressure of the capor ring is removed or released, the elastic or resilient nature of theflange will cause the nibs, teats, or protuberances 17 to expanddownwardly against the upper edge of the neck of the bottle 10 andthereby raise the inverted face of the flange 12 out of contact with theupper edge of the neck of the bottle 10 to break the vacuum seal andpermit air to rush into the container or bottle. The elastic orresilient nature of the flange 12 will also cause the nibs, teats, orother protuberances 18 to be pushed outwardly, thereby raising thel disc13 out of contact with the abutting face of the iiange 12 to releaset'nel vacuum seal between the parts.

In the form shown in Figures 9 and 10, the elastic or resilient ange121i of the nipple 11a is provided with vintegral nibs, teats, orprotuberances 19 upon the inverted face of the flange 12a, and integralnibs, teats or protuberances 20 formed upon the upper face of the flange12a, as shown in Figure 9. A sealing disc 21 is proferably placedthereon in the nature of a retaining element in conjunction with theadjustable retaining cap or ring 16a. When the cap or ring 16a istightened, the nibs, teats, or protuberances 19 and 20 will becompressed, as shown in Figure 10, to provide a proper seal. When thecap or ring 16a is removed or loosened, the nibs, teats, orprotuberances 19 and 20 will expand to separate the ilange 12E from theneck of the bottle 10a, and the disc 21 from the tlange 12a to releasethe vacuum seal.

In Figure 11, the neck of the bottle b is provided with a plurality ofnibs, teats, or protuberances 22, which extend slightly above the bottleneck and normally support the inverted elastic vented nipple flange 12b.As the retaining cap 16h is tightened upon the bottle neck, the nibs,teats, or protuberances 22 will be forced into the nipple ange 12b toseal the flange 12b tightly upon the outer end of the neck of thebottle. When the retaining cap 16b is removed, the elastic nature of theiiange 12b will raise the ange 12b upon the nibs, teats, orprotuberances 22 and out of contact with the upper end of the bottleneck to break the vacuum seal within the bottle 10b. The sealing disc13b is interposed between the cap or ring 16b and the bottle neck 10b.

As shown in Figure 12, when a cap or ring 16 is used, having a wedgeshaped nipple retaining rib Z2, the teats 23, similar to the teats 17,abut against the rib 22 as the cap or ring 16a is tightened upon thebottle 24, and when the nipple 11c is in an operative position. This rib22 acts to retain and lock the edge of the ange 12c of the nipple 11c inposition, so that the nipple 11c cannot be pulled out of the cap.Therefore, the teats 23 which are inwardly spaced from the outer edge ofthe flange 12C, as shown, and are located outwardly of the rib 22 toabut the rib 22, perform a two-fold function, first, as an automaticvacuum seal breaking means, as previously described, and second, as aflange locking means.

It should be understood that certain detail changes may be employedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as suchchanges fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In combination with a rigid container having an open outer end, anipple having a resilient flange iitting upon said open outer end ofsaid container, a retaining cap adjustably secured to said container andreceiving said flange to seal said flange upon the open outer end ofsaid container, a plurality of spaced integral resilient nibs carried bysaid flange and contacting the outer end of said container, said nibsbeing compressible into said resilient iange of said nipple when saidcap is adjusted upon said container to seal said flange upon saidcontainer, and said nibs being adapted to yexpand outwardly beyondsaidresilient flange when said cap is adjusted to release pressure ofsaid cap from said resilient flange of said nipple, to therebyautomatically move said resilient flange away from an out of contactwith said container to automatically break the seal between the outerend of said container and said resilient flange, a rigid sealing disccarried by said cap and contacting one face of said resilient ange, saiddisc having a plurality of spaced small rigid nibs contacting one faceof said flange when the nipple is in an inverted position to penetratesaid flange to move said disc into sealing contact with said resilientflange when said cap is clamped to a sealing position upon saidcontainer, and the resiliency of said resilient iiange being adapted toforce said nibs out of penetrating engagement with said flange tothereby automatically separate and break the sealing contact betweensaid disc and resilient flange when said cap is released from saidcontainer to thereby release pressure of the cap from said sealing disc.

2. In combination with a rigid container having an open outer enddelining a rigid nipple flange abutment portion, a nipple having aresilient flange, a retaining cap adjustably mounted upon said containerand movable to and from a ange sealing position, a rigid sealing disccarried by said cap and contacting one face of said resilient flange,said disc having a plurality of spaced small rigid nibs contacting oneface fof said resilient ange when the nipple is in an inverted positionto penetrate said ange to move said disc into sealing contact with saidresilient flange when said cap is clamped to a sealing position uponsaid container, and the resiliency of said resilient ilange beingadapted to force said nibs out of penetrating engagement with saidresilient flange to thereby automatically separate and break the sealingcontact between said disc and said resilient Flange when said cap isreleased from said container to thereby release pressure of the cap fromsaid sealing disc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

